The Grace Of Our LORD

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18)!

Isaiah in writing to his fellow Israelites who are an obstinate nation carrying out plans that are not of Him cries out to them with a deep love for His chosen people, remember we who have embraced true Christianity are also His chosen people for He has chosen us from the foundation of the world. He calls to us as He called to the Israelites, "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,...." (Isaiah 30:15a).  We can repent of our sins and then rest (the Hebrew word denotes quietness) and in "quietness (the Hebrew word here denotes tranquil peace) "trust is your strength. We cannot provoke, by some ritual or works, God to do anything for us, what we can do is in quietness and trust allow our Gracious God to show us compassion.  Let us not become as the Israelites and have God proclaim of us, "...but you would have none of it" (Isaiah 30:15b).

There is a movement within the Christian Church today called the Emerging Church, and within that circle promoted is Spiritual Contemplation, or Spiritual Formation, using an old monastic ritual called "Lectio  Divina" whereby we bring God down into our presence by certain ritualistic practices that on the surface sounds wonderful.  Beware of such teachings, Christianity is not about experientially feeling the presence of God for He is always present. Looking back to those monastic monks and making their practices ours is to allow their lives to become a hindrance to our concentration upon God. Where do we find God: in His Word, concentrate on that, meditate upon that, "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long" (Psalm 119:97). live it out in our lives.  Then and only then will we become satisfied in our souls, for it is in the daily living, doing, working, applying His standards to our lives that God is real in our lives. We look up to God, we don't bring Him down to us. Be cautions, beware, if we are living for the experience we will miss the Real God who "rises to show you [us] compassion and justice"  Wait upon Him!

Daily Prayer:

Father it is in you we find solace and peace.  Thank you for You are a God of justice and compassion. Teach me Your ways as I meditate upon Your Word, and recall Your blessings.  Help me to remove any hindrance to You.  Allow me to shine forth Your "Good News" of salvation through my life in You. Lead me today to someone that I can share my faith.  Thank you!                                            Amen